


I Would Not Wish Any Companion in the World but You

by CherriesAndRaindrops



Category: Something Rotten! - Kirkpatrick/Kirkpatrick/O'Farrell
Genre: (Viola is Nick and Bea’s daughter), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Era, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Ficlet Collection, Fluff and Angst, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Period-Typical Homophobia, Pregnancy, Secret Relationship, Warnings May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23047798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherriesAndRaindrops/pseuds/CherriesAndRaindrops
Summary: (Title inspiration: The Tempest, Act 3, Scene 1).A Bard Crossed Lovers oneshot collection, because I love this ship with all my heart.
Relationships: Bea Bottom/Nick Bottom, Nigel Bottom/William Shakespeare
Comments: 9
Kudos: 30





	1. headcanons!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some HCs about the best bois.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stan Portia Brooks.

-Will and Nigel are both very touch-starved, so they’re very big into physical affection.

-In a perfect world where the musical didn’t end in the bois going to America, Will forgave Nigel and they became good friends. After they both realized how gay they were for each other (Portia and Nigel are just best friends in this), Will invited Nigel to move in with him, and he said yes. A few weeks after, they “accidentally” had a drunken make out session, and in the next morning they both confessed their feelings, and now they’re very happily together.

-Both have BDE: Bi Disaster Energy.

-Portia’s like a little sister to Will and you can pry that FACT out of my cold, dead hands.

-Will tops, but sometimes Nigel tops... as a treat.

-Nick now does not only hate Shakespeare, he also wants to eradicate his entire bloodline, which makes this all even more complicated.

-He’s okay with Will and Nigel’s “””friendship”””, but still refuses to even acknowledge Will’s existence after the whole incident.

-Will genuinely wants to make things better between them.

-He also really wants to meet Nick and Bea’s baby, Viola.

-Will’s a lot sadder than anyone realizes, but luckily, Nigel’s always willing to give hugs.

-Will has ADHD, and Nigel’s autistic.

-Nigel’s really self-conscious about his habits (being autistic in the 1500s ranged from you getting labeled as a bit odd to getting locked up in an institution), but Will loves him just the way he is.

Nigel’s pretty ticklish, so he has to be careful when he’s in a sour mood, because Will’s ruthless when it comes to that shit.

Will’s pet names for Nigel are “darling”, “dearie”, or “sweetheart”. Nigel has yet to come up with one.

The only people that know about Nigel and Will’s relationship are Will’s servants and backup dancers (y’know the dudes in leather jackets that show up in Will Power and Hard to be the Bard?), and all four of them are sworn to secrecy.

Stan Bard Crossed Lovers.


	2. Last Night I Told You I Loved You (Woke Up, Blamed It On the Vodka)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Nigel get a little too drunk, and things get a bit out of hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Title inspiration: Last Night by Lucy Spraggan).
> 
> This oneshot/HC was inspired by a TikTok trend that was pretty much a before and after of a group of friends getting absolutely smashed.

Being William Shakespeare’s co-writer was hard, especially if you had just figured out you had a crush on him.

Nigel Bottom knew this for a fact.

The two bards had started working together after Will had taken a liking to Nigel’s writing, and asked to collaborate. After a few months, they both found it easier to write if they were closer, so Nigel moved into Will’s mansion.

The pressure quickly got to the younger writer. Working with the one and only Shakespeare already heightened people’s expectations for him, and his brother’s constant nagging didn’t help him either.

“He’s not mean to you, right?”

“Does he talk about me at all?”

“You looked stressed, are you stressed?”

Will noticed soon noticed how pressured Nigel was, and decided to take his crus- erm, friend to a bar to calm his nerves.

And now, all four of Will’s servants were dragging them back inside the mansion.

—

“Ugh, you’re so p-pretty...” Will slurred, holding Nigel’s face. “Isn’t Nigel pretty...?”

“No, I’m _beautiful!_ ”

The Bottom brother declared, slamming himself into the couch. “And... and you know what?”

”What?”

Nigel giggled. “You’re reeaallly, REALLY cute.”

Will blushed. “You... y-you really think that?”

”Mhm~! You’re p-probably the cutest p-person I’ve EVER met. And- and you know what would be super cool?”

”What?“

Nigel pushed himself up, and latched onto the very drunk Will’s shoulders. “I w-want you to... to k-kiss me!”

Will was so shocked, he threw himself against the couch armrest. “R-really?”

”I m-mean, you don’t HAVE~ to, but I’d-“ 

Will pulled Nigel into a deep kiss. The shorter bard threw his arms around him, and kissed back.

It was pure euphoria for both of them.

”Sir, are-“

Will whipped around to face his servant. “T-tell anyone and... and you’re done!”

”Yes sir.” The servant replied, marching out of the parlor.

”Will...” Nigel groaned. “You’re r-really cute and a-all, but I’m tired...”

”Fine.” Will agreed, lying his head down on Nigel’s chest. “N-nighty night, Nigel....”

“‘Night, my s-sweet prince~....”

—

Will woke up early the next morning with a migraine.

He let out a groan as he sat up, holding his head. He started considering sleeping off the hangover.

That’s when he realized he wasn’t in his bed. In fact, he was still in the parlor!

”What the hell...?” He whispered, puzzled.

And that’s when he remembered.

“Nigel?! Where are you?!” He called, his eyes frantically darting around the room.

He must’ve woken up.

The bard dashed upstairs, ignoring how his head felt like it was imploding from his hangover. He had to find Nigel, but how was he gonna explain what happened last night?

He could just admit his feelings...

After checking his own room, Nigel’s room, and his study, he finally reached the bathroom.

”Nigel?” He whispered, creaking open the door. “Are you in here?

And there Nigel was, curled up in a ball in the corner of the room. The fear in his bloodshot eyes was apparent as he looked up at Will.

”What’s wrong?” Will asked, though he knew damn well what was wrong.

”Don’t you remember last night?” Nigel whimpered. “W-what we did?“

”We were drunk, Nigel. It doesn’t matter.”

”It d-does!” The Bottom brother cried. “Will, I know you’ll probably hate me for this, but...”

Will walked over to his friend, and sat down next to him. “C’mon, tell me. I promise I won’t hate you.”

”I asked you to kiss me because I love you!“

Nigel hid his face in his knees, his face red with shame. He blew it. Now Will was gonna kick out and tell everyone about how awful he was.

But instead, he heard him chuckle.

”Oh, Nigel...” Will grinned. “I know I shouldn’t be saying this... but I fancy you quite a bit as well.”

The younger bard peeked up to see Will’s flushed, calm face. “Really?” Nigel asked. “You don’t t-think I’m a freak of n-nature?”

”Of course not, darling! I love you too!

”Oh...” Nigel smiled, placing his head on Will’s shoulder, making the older man’s heart skip a beat.

”Oh, you’re so adorable.” The bard commented, scooping his co-writer -and possible lover- up in his arms as he stood up. “Lemme carry you to back to bed, you must have a horrible headache.”

Nigel nodded, snuggling his way into Will’s shirt. He chuckled, placing a kiss on his head.

”Sweet dreams, my prince.”


	3. All You Need is Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will tries cheering Nigel up when he’s feeling down after a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to write! Here’s some fluff to make up for it.
> 
> Next oneshot’s gonna be heavy angst, though.

Will barely saw Nigel today.

He had gotten up early to get some eggs, and then he had to go babysit Nick’s daughter, Viola. He got home late in the afternoon, and by that time, he was exhausted.

“There you are, darling!” Will beamed as Nigel walked through the door. “Where have you been? You had me a bit worried there.”

Nigel yawned “I was at Nick’s house, taking care of the baby.” He murmured as he walked up the seemingly endless stairs. “I’m so tired...”

”If you need anything, let me know, alright dearie?”

”Okay...”

Will watched him trudge up the stairs and disappear into the hallway. He decided to let him rest for a bit before checking in on him. In the meantime, he was gonna get some writing done.

After 15 minutes of bugging his servants, procrastinating, and wanting to cry, the bard decided to cheer up his boyfriend. And he knew just how to do it.

—

”Oh Nigel...” Will called quietly, opening the door to their room. The man in question was lying down on the bed. He groaned when Will said his name.

”Sorry, did I wake you?”

”No...” Nigel rolled over to face Will. The poor thing had never looked so tired since Omelette rehearsals. His boyfriend lied down next to him, and wrapped an arm around him, pressing a kiss on the crown of his head. “You know I love you more than anything, right?”

“Mhm.” Nigel replied.

”And you know that if anything was bothering you, you would be more than welcome to tell me, right?”

”I’m fine, Will. I‘m just... so tired.”

Will got an idea.

”Well then...” He dug his fingers into Nigel’s stomach, tickling him. “You really need a pick-me-up!”

Nigel squealed, quickly rolled onto his back “Will!” He giggled. “Please!”

”Please what, darling?” The taller man grinned, relishing in the sound of Nigel’s laugh. Although he would never, ever admit it, it was his favorite sound he had ever heard.

God, he really loved Nigel.

“Stop tickling me!” Nigel laughed, desperately trying to squirm away from his boyfriend’s wriggling fingers.

”Oh, fine. But only because you ask so nicely.” 

Will finally stopped, and placed a kiss on Nigel’s forehead as he caught his breath, still giggling a bit. “Seriously though, Nigel. If anything’s ever actually wrong, promise you’ll tell me?”

”Promise.”

Will smiled. “Good, I love you.“

”I love you, too.”


	4. Just Let Me Know I’ll Be At the Door (hoping you’ll come around)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will struggles with the aftermath of an incident that may change his life forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title inspiration: Meet Me in the Hallway by Harry Styles.
> 
> Warning: This is an AU where Nigel gets run over by a carriage. If you don’t want to read hardcore angst, this chapter isn’t the best for you.

Will smiled as he felt Nigel wrap his arms around his shoulders. “What is it, dearie?” He asked, looking up at his boyfriend.

”I know you said you were gonna do it, but I’m going out to get us some meat.”

”Oh, I can still do it if you want.”

”But you’re writing, and I don’t wanna disturb you while you’re working!”

Will glanced at the window, showing the slowly darkening sky. “Alright, but please try to be back before dark. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I won’t.” Nigel pressed a kiss on the crown of Will’s head before starting to head out of his study. “Bye, Will!”

”Goodbye, darling!”

And that was the last time Nigel and Will saw each other for a few weeks.

—

For once, Will was actually writing in his study, when all of a sudden, his valet bursted into the room.

”Sir!”

Will turned down. “Everything alright?” He asked, noticing his frantic tone of voice.

”N-nigel got ran over!”

The valet covered his mouth, but it was too late.

”..can you repeat that?”

”I heard from someone that your partner Nigel got run over by a carriage soon after he left here. The entire city’s talking about it, apparently.”

The valet could’ve swore he saw something in Will die inside of him as he told him the news.

”Are you alright, sir?”

”I...I need a moment.”

”Of course, sir.”

Will didn’t leave his room until the next morning.

—

Will groaned as he heard his bedroom door open.

”Sir...?”

“Go away.” Will spat, rolling over on his bed to face one of his servants.

”But sir, your friend Portia’s here. She needs to talk to you.“

Will had forgotten all about Portia.

She loved everything Nigel did. She gushed to him over how good his poems were, and she was there for him when Will couldn’t be.

He was so wrapped up in his own grief, he didn’t think about hers.

“Tell her I’ll be down in a minute.”

He dashed out off bed, tried to make himself look at least somewhat presentable, and ran downstairs.

He found Portia in the parlor, her sad eyes looking down at the velvet rug.

”Hello there, Portia.” Will smiled sadly, bending down to meet her eyes. “What brings you here?”

”You know what.”

Will’s bittersweet expression disappeared. This wasn’t the quirky, silly, and cheerful Portia he had gotten to know and love. He sighed. “Look, let’s go upstairs, and then we can talk about this.”

When the two got upstairs, Portia fell flat on Will’s bed. “Tired now, are we?” He asked, sitting down next to her.

”Sad, actually.”

”I know, I am too.” Will responded. “There’s always hope that he might get better.”

”Well I hope there is! Or else he’s gonna die!”

Will swallowed the lump in his throat. “...I don’t wanna think about that.”

”Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just...” Portia sighed. “He’s one of the only person that listens to me and my ideas. Besides you, of course, and I... I don’t know what I’ll do without him.“

“No, I get i-“ Will realized Portia was crying. “Oh, Portia. Come here.” He pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize how hard this must be for you.”

Will didn’t like to admit it, but he was a bit protective of most of his friends, especially Portia. She was so innocent to the dangers of the world, and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as he could.

That period of time had finally ended, and now it was his job to fulfill the needs her father couldn’t.

He would hold her for as long as he needed to.

—

And so the days went by without an update on Nigel’s condition. Will was writing more furiously than ever. Instead of spending those long hours procrastinating, he wrote palaces and palaces of paragraphs. His work was getting more morbid with every word, but that was just how he conveyed his grief.

Portia’s visits became more and more frequent, so Will wrote things for her. It wasn’t dark like his bigger projects, as he had kept his poems for her happy and wholesome. He didn’t think too highly of them, but they made his best friend happy, and that was what matter.

This routine went on for two weeks, until Will got a letter.

—

_Dearest Will,_

_I’m so happy that I can finally write to you! I’m in Nick’s cottage healing up. Oh, by the way, I’m sorry if I scared you, but I’m completely fine now if that cheers you up. Well, not completely.  
The doctor wanted to cut my entire leg off, but Nick didn’t let him, so now I’m gonna have to use a cane most of the time, but I can handle it.   
The doctor’s finally letting me out of the house tomorrow, so that means I can see you again! I’m so excited! I got a BUNCH of writing ideas I can’t wait to share with you!_

_Whoops! I’m running out of paper! Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? I love you!_

_Your lover,_ _  
Nigel_

Will cupped a hand over his mouth as he finished reading the letter.

Nigel was alive, and he was gonna see him again tomorrow.

He wouldn’t get a wink of sleep that night.

—

It was exactly one o’clock in the afternoon when the doorbell rang.

”I got it!” Will shouted, dashing across the parlor, grinning like a madman.

It was time.

He pulled open the massive front door, and there, with a cane, smiling shyly, was his Nigel.

”Hi, Will.”

The famous bard pulled Nigel into a bone-crushing hug. “I missed you so much.” He whispered.

”Missed you, too.”

Will let Nigel inside, picked him up, and spun him around, making him squeal with joy. Will’s grin never left his face. It was the first time in weeks that he felt happy.

Neither of them might never get over the incident, but they were together, and that’s what counted.


	5. Make It Like Your Birthday Everyday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nigel buys Will a birthday present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday, Shakespeare.

”Will...” Nigel whispered, gently tapping his shoulder to wake him.

Will groaned quietly. “Yes, darling?” He responded, rolling over to face him.

”Do you know what day it is?”

“...Thursday?”

Nigel giggled, making Will’s heart skip a beat. “Not just any Thursday, it’s your birthday!”

The bard’s face lit up. “Oh yeah! I forgot about that!”

Nigel leaned over, and kissed his cheek gently. “I’m gonna make this birthday your best one yet!”

”It already is, now that I’m spending it with you.” Will murmured, ruffling Nigel’s curly hair.

As much as Nigel wanted to stay in bed and cuddle with Will, he had lots of things to do. “Well, I gotta get up, I’m gonna go get your present ready!” He announced, sliding out of bed.

”Bye, sweetheart...”

”Bye!”

—

Nigel had forgotten to get Will a present.

He paced around his study frantically, his mind racing with gift ideas. Yet, none of them seemed to fit for Will. He wanted his gift for him to be the best one he would ever get. But there wasn’t much Will didn’t have, so what was there to get him?

Then, Nigel finally got a good idea. Not just good, but bedazzling, as his lover would say.

It would take a long time to get it, since he didn’t have any sort of carriage at the moment, but as long as he was back before sundown, he as good as gold.

And on that note, he dashed out of the mansion, ready to make to make Will as happy as he could be.

—

Nigel finally returned late that afternoon, exhausted from all three long walks.

But he had the present in it’s box, and that was all that mattered.

He found Will in his study, munching on some chocolate cake his servants had prepared for him.

”There you are, sweetheart!” He grinned. “Where were you? I was starting to get worried.”

”Well, I was getting you a present!” Nigel answered, placing the box wrapped with light blue paper on Will’s desk. “I think you’ll really like it.”

”Oh, goody!” The bard leaned over and slowly started to remove the lid. “I wonder what it is...”

Finally, he took it off.

...and a very furry, very cute gray kitten popped out.

Will gasped, cupping his face with his hands. “Oh my god...” He whispered.

”...you like it, right?” Nigel asked, titling his head.

” _I adore it!”_

Will swiftly picked up the kitten and cradled him in his arms. “Hello there, you tiny pile of cuteness! I’m Will!” The cat meowed at Will, briefly pressing his paw to his cheek.

He stood up, and pecked Nigel’s cheek, getting a bit of chocolate on it. “I’ll ever be able to thank you enough.” He whispered.

”Aw, you’re welcome!” Nigel smiled shyly. “What are you gonna name him?

Will looked down affectionately at his cat. “...Romeo.” He responded, caressing his forehead with his thumb.

And so, Romeo became part of their little family.


	6. I Don’t Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nigel’s a bit different, but Will doesn’t mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is gonna be Autistic!Nigel-centric.
> 
> ...yeah.

Nigel was a bit different than everyone else Will’s met.

Sometimes, when he was over the moon happy, he’d flap his hands for a moment or too before he caught himself. He made an effort not to do it because of what other people might think of him, but Will didn’t mind. To him, it meant that his boyfriend was happy, and that was all that mattered to him.

Other times, when he got really stressed, he practically shut down. Will would walk in on him staring into space, or lying his head down on his desk, barely responsive. It could be difficult dealing with Nigel when he was like this, but Will didn’t mind. He knew what it was like to be at your breaking point.

Very rarely did Nigel ever truly break.

He had different ways of breaking, depending on how he was feeling. Sometimes, he sunk to the floor and cried. Other times, he’d try to punch a whole in the wall.

But whatever was happening, Will would truly his best to help him.

—

”Nigel?”

Will’s eyes darted around his partner’s study. He was nowhere to be found.

”Nigel? Where are you?” He called, stepping into the room.

Then, he heard a whimper come from behind the desk.

”...Nigel? Is that you?”

”N-no!”

Still, the taller man walked over and picked over the desk.

There was Nigel, curled up in a ball, looking absolutely petrified.

”Oh, sweetheart.” Will murmured, rushing by his side. “What happened?”

”I-I’m so...”

”So what?”

”Overwhelmed!” Nigel cried. “B-between writing a-all the time and getting mobbed by y-your crazy fans, I get s-so stressed! I-I’m sorry, Will...”

”You don’t need to apologize, dearie. I won’t force you to go out with me, okay?“

Nigel nodded, rocking back and fourth.

”Do you mind if I give you a hug?”

The smaller man nodded again, and melted into the warm embrace that his partner pulled him into, burying his head into his shirt.

Will pressed a kiss to the top of his head and ran his fingers slowly along his back. He felt guilty. Until now, he didn’t understand why Nigel didn’t want to be seen in public. After all, who wouldn’t want to be seen with the bard? He wished he had told him about his crippling fear of crowds sooner, but it’s better to know now than to never know, right?

It seemed like there was only one thing left to do.

”...I’m so sorry I made you do all that.”

Nigel clung onto Will, and nodded.

The bard smiled, and turned his head to gaze at the sun setting over London.

”I love you, Nigel.“

Nigel was different, but Will didn’t mind.


	7. I’ll Call You Back When the Party’s Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nigel visits Will’s house party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know I’m basic by naming this chapter after a lyric from a Billie Eilish song.

Nigel woke up to his phone alarm going off. He quickly grabbed it and fumbled with it for a few moments before finally turning it off. He let out a quiet sigh of relief. Waking Nick up would put a massive dent in his plan.

He sat up, and snuck over to the closet. He started peering through it. He was going to William Shakespeare’s mansion party, for Christ’s sake. He had to look nice.

Eventually, he finally settled on a decent outfit. It was a white hoodie, a cross necklace, and baggy khakis.

It wasn’t a lot, but he was in a rush.

Finally, it was time for the hardest part of Operation Get-Out-Of-The-House-Without-Getting-Killed-By-Your-Brother: Sneaking out via climbing out the window. It was extremely risky, especially considering that Nigel had never done something even remotely similar to this before, but it was better than sneaking down the old, creaky staircase.

He crept over to the window and slowly opened it. After opening it enough so he could fit, he sat on the ledge, took a deep breath, and pushed himself forward.

He plopped down on the grass, surprisingly not sustaining much pain besides a hot pinch in his leg for landing on a pebble.

But there was no time to whine. He could make it to Will’s mansion as soon as in 15 minutes if he walked fast enough. He brushed himself off, stood up, and dashed out of the backyard.

He was off to hang out with his brother’s worst enemy and his longtime crush.

~~~

The entire neighborhood made him feel like an outsider.

They all had polished roofs, nice pools, and pretty gardens. Nigel and Nick were lucky if they could pool up enough money to pay the rent.

Then, he reached Will’s house.

It was massive, with a large patio crowded with people and large, marble pillars supporting the large windows. Just looking at it made Nigel feel bad.

He was able to push pass through the intoxicated crowd and reach the front doors.

As soon as he let them close behind him, he realized his mistake.

The neon blue LED lights hanging from the ceiling practically blinded him, and the obnoxiously loud music blaring from the speakers made him cover his ears. How could people just stay here for three hours and be completely fine?

Then, he finally caught his eye.

He saw Will in a leather vest and really tight jeans grinding against a guy right in the middle of the dance floor.

Nigel didn’t wish he could trade places with the guy, but he definitely wished he could trade places with the guy.

But then, they made eye contact, and his face lit up. “Nigel!” He called, pushing the man he was dancing with away. Nigel smiled gently, feeling his face flush as his crush walked over to him. “Hi, Will.“

“What took you so long? I was starting to think you decided not to come!”

”Yeah, s-sorry about that.” Nigel responded, clasping his hand on the back of his neck. “It took me a while to get out of the house without waking Nick up.“

”Don’t worry, it’s totally fine.”

Will grabbed Nigel’s shoulder, and pointed to the corner of the room. “So, what are you gonna do about the fair maiden?”

Nigel’s eyes landed on Portia Brooks, who was chatting with her friends. Ever since sophomore year of high school, it had been apparent to everyone and their mother that she had a crush on Nigel. And although she was indeed quite cute, Nigel’s heart belonged to Will.

He chuckled. “I mean, I might tell her. Who knows?” He responded. “Actually... could we go outside? All the music and bright lights are kinda overwhelming me.”

”Oh, of course! We can go swimming in my pool!”

”...but I don’t have a swimsuit.”

Will laughed, grabbing Nigel’s hand. “You don’t need one. Now come on!”

He grabbed two bottles of vodka, and bolted outside to an even larger group of people, dragging Nigel along with him.

Nigel couldn’t help but stare at Will as he stripped down to his underwear. He looked so perfect, so alluring, so beautiful-

He was knocked out of his thoughts by being suddenly soaked with water.

”C’mon, Nigel! Just jump in!”

”O-oh, sorry Will!”

He quickly took off everything but his boxers, and jumped into the pool.

The water was freezing cold, almost too much for him to handle, but if he wanted to impress Will, he had to stay in.

”I’ll be back in a minute, okay?” Will asked, handing Nigel one of the vodka bottles he had brought.

”O-okay.”

Will smiled at him, and swam over to the other, much more crowded side of the pool.

Nigel sighed, and uncapped the bottle and took a sip. He wished he didn’t like Will so much, and he wanted to be able to ask out Portia so she could be happy, but he couldn’t find it in himself to love her back.

He glanced at the other side of the pool to see Will chugging his bottle of vodka as a girl danced on him. Nigel wished he could be her, he really did.

Nick and Will used to be great friends until junior year of high school, when something bad happened. Nigel never found out what, but it was bad enough that, even eight years later, Nick still despised Will. So why did he love his brother’s worst enemy so much?

He felt a hand grab his shoulder, and he turned around to see Will.

”Could we talk in p-private?” The taller man slurred. “Like, upstairs in t-the house?”

The thought of being alone with Will made Nigel’s heart skip a beat.

”O-oh, sure!”

“Cool.”

~~~

After getting dressed, and after Will nearly tumbling down the stairs, they found a room that wasn’t occupied by a couple doing God knows what.

”Sorry a-about all this.” Will stuttered, locking the door behind them. “I’m a bit-“ He gulped. “...yeah.”

”It’s fine.” Nigel responded, sitting on Will’s bed. “So what did you wanna talk about?”

”Oh, I dunno...”

Will stumbled over to Nigel’s side, and rested his head on his shoulder.

The younger man’s heart started beating at 100 miles per hour.

”...how are you, Nigel?”

”G-good, you?”

”Nice, h-how’s Nick?”

“He’s doing alright.” Nigel replied, butterflies flying all around in his stomach.

”Good.” The taller man sighed, looking out the window. “If... if only things were different.“

”If you hadn’t destroyed your friendship?”

Will nodded, then he proceeded to fall into his friend’s lap.

“I-I love you, Nigel...”

Nigel’s heart stopped.

”...really?”

”Mhm.”

”...I love you, too.”

He sat there for a bit, ruffling Will’s hair. He wanted to stay there forever, just him and the love of his life alone for eternity.

But then he remembered that Nick would skin him alive if he found out that he had come here, and he realized it was time to go.

”Will, I have to go.” He announced, standing up.

”Noooo...” Will groaned.

”I would stay if I could, but Nick’s probably gonna kill me when I get home.”

The taller man sighed. “Okay, bye-bye...” He waved.

”Bye, Will!”

As Nigel walked home, he thought about Will. He thought about now he’d probably already forgotten about their entire conversation, and that he was most likely in bed with someone else right now.

Someone that would never be him.

—

He woke up to a phone call the next morning.

He groaned, reaching for his phone and answering it. “Hello...?” He mumbled.

”Nigel, is that you?”

The memories hit Nigel like a truck.

”Oh, hi Will!”

”Sorry, Nigel. Last night I got so drunk I can barely remember a thing!”

He could barely remember telling Nigel he loved him.

He felt a lump form in his throat.

”Oh, and by the way, I may or may not slept with Portia, so...”

He didn’t love Nigel at all.

But, Nigel still played along with him, acting surprised and cheerful.

At least Will had a good night with him.


End file.
